16Sep

This Sunday: Prepare the Way

Sunday, 18 September - 9:30am

John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord. Without this preparation the people would not have been able to recognize the Lord’s innocence and love. Likewise, if we do not prepare through living a good life we will miss the presence of the Lord’s innocence and love. The way we prepare is through repentance. This week, take the time to think about how you would like the Lord to show up in your life: in love? In peace? In friendship? In integrity? Then take the steps that will allow you to receive the Lord in this way. The hard work of preparation will have been worth it when it brings the joy of the Lord’s presence.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

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11Sep

This Sunday: To Be Part of a Whole

We talk of organizations as if they have a life of their own: “The company made some good decisions last years;” “The rugby team is making good progress.” But of course, no organization does anything apart from the individual choices of its members. The church is no different. We may talk of the church as a separate entity that does things; the reality is that the church only exists insofar as the individual members are living and being the church. Each of us is a part of the greater whole, and the quality of the church will be determined by the quality of our lives.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

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31Aug

This Sunday: The Spirit of the Law

Sunday, 4 September - 9:30am
We all break rules from time to time. We speed. We tell a little lie. We browse Instagram at work when no one is around. We always tell ourselves that it is justified. But then someone else does the same, and our righteous indignation bristles: well if they speed, I can cut them off! They lied, so I can bad mouth them to others! They slack off at work, so I can too! What we fail to see is that we are using the technicality of breaking a rule to justify us harming someone else. The Lord calls us to something greater: to look beyond just the letter of the law and focus on the spirit, and from there to have compassion on those who perhaps don’t stay within bounds as much as we might hope.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here.
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.

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25Aug

This Sunday: Facing Floods

Sunday, 28 August
This week we are going to talk about being in the middle of the flood, coping with the challenges as we experience them. In the midst of struggle we suffer from doubt but the Lord’s promise is that He has prepared you and that He will bring you through alive, to find a new beginning. There is no challenge that you cannot overcome.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

    • Song Lyrics
      We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here on Sunday.
    • Readings
      The written version of the sermon can be found here.
    • Sermon
      The written version of the sermon can be found here.

Read more

18Aug

This Sunday: Coming Home

Sunday, 21 August - 9:30am
We all want a nice home in which we can feel safe and loved. This doesn’t just come with a nice house: we are home among the people who care for us and love us. We are also home when we rest in the Lord and His Divine care for us. We all have a spiritual home. This Sunday we’ll look at ways to find this home for ourselves.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here.
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here on Sunday.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here on Sunday.

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12Aug

This Sunday: People Need People

Sunday, 14 August - 9:30am
The Teachings of the New Church assert that “People are not born for their own sake; they are born for the sake of others.” Our lives are intricately tied up in the lives of those around us, and in fact, for better or worse, we cannot help but be defined by the people we come into contact with. No one can truly live isolated from others.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here.
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.

Read more

05Aug

This Sunday: The Gift of Freedom

Sunday, 7 August - 9:30am

What does it feel like to have your freedom taken away? We all crave freedom. We all want to be able to act with no restrictions. But freedom isn’t actually about being allowed to do anything and everything; it is about being allowed to do the things that you love. Regardless of what other restrictions may be imposed on us, if we can find what we love, and find a way to act on it, then we will be truly free.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here on Sunday.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here on Sunday.

Read more

28Jul

This Sunday: In Remembrance of the Lord

Sunday, 31 July - 9:30am

At the Last Supper, having shared bread and wine with His disciples, the Lord commanded, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Holy Supper is an opportunity to remember the Lord: to remember what He did for us in giving His life; to remember the Divine Love that He shares with us; to remember the Divine Wisdom that inspires us. But remembering the Lord is not just a matter of thought; it is a matter of doing what He commands us. The best way to “remember” the Lord is to actively follow His teachings.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here.
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.

Read more

22Jul

This Sunday: Rediscovering the Power of Faith

Sunday, 24 July - 9:30am

When Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Children of Israel were left to wonder what had become of him. As the days dragged into weeks, they lost trust in both him and the Lord, and so turned to worship a golden idol. When we feel abandoned by the Lord, with no sense of His deep presence, we also turn to our own idols, idols of pleasure or comfort. This Sunday we’ll look at how to notice this tendency in ourselves and push to reconnect with the Lord when He seems absent.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here.
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.

Read more

14Jul

This Sunday: Making Faith Your Own

Sunday, 17 July - 9:30am

When you were born you knew nothing about the world and how it worked; nor did you know anything about the Lord or spiritual life. These were things that had to be taught to you, from a young age, both through education and through the examples set by the people around you. As you matured your faith became your own. No longer did you have to rely on others: you could enter into an adult relationship with the Lord and an adult understanding of spiritual life. Yet as simple as that sounds, we can all stand to reflect on how much of our faith is really our own, and how much work still needs to be done to move past what we were taught and live our faith for ourselves.

The service will be broadcast live at https://www.facebook.com/newchurchwestville/live. You can also watch the service later at that same link.

  • Song Lyrics
    We will have four songs during the service that you can sing along with at home. You can download the lyrics here.
  • Readings
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.
  • Sermon
    The written version of the sermon can be found here.

Read more